Frequently Asked Questions

The Service Line Discovery Program aims to proactively comply with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR). The revised rule requires all water systems in the U.S., including the Town, to submit an inventory of the water service lines by Oct. 16, 2024, carry out water sampling, and provide customers with public education materials.

A service line is the underground pipe that connects your home to the water main. Water supplied by the Town enters your home through the service line.

It can typically be seen where it enters your home in the basement or crawl space.

No. A primary purpose of the LCRR is simply to identify the material of all water service lines to enhance customer awareness. Identifying out-of-date materials, including lead, is the first step toward eliminating them from the distribution system.

No. The program does not directly affect the cost of your water bill.

All information can be found on the program webpage at www.christiansburg.org/SLDiscovery.

Lead in drinking water originates from lead-based plumbing materials. Lead can enter drinking water when plumbing materials containing lead corrode over time. These materials include pipes made of lead, lead-based solder used to join copper pipe, and brass faucets. If present, lead service lines are typically the most significant source of lead in the water. In Virginia, these materials are unlikely to be found in homes built after 1979. Service line inventory records show there are no known lead service lines in the Town’s water system. At this time, the Town has not encountered lead service lines in our system through our Service Line Discovery Program.

Our water is carefully treated to minimize the possibility of lead entering the drinking water. Lead occurs in drinking water through leaching from lead-containing pipe, faucets, and solder sometimes found in the plumbing of older buildings. If you’re concerned about lead in drinking water, please contact the Town for more information on how to have your water tested.

The Town has reviewed its records related to service lines and field-verified service line materials at numerous sites throughout the system, following regulatory requirements of the LCRR for inclusion in the inventory. The Town continues to examine and track service line materials throughout the system to meet the inventory submission deadline of October 2024.